


Handmade

by frapandfurious



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 03:17:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7491285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frapandfurious/pseuds/frapandfurious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"All his achievements and somehow this felt like one of the biggest revelations of his life. He might not be able to leave the ship and find Kylo nice things, but he had two hands and was a quick learner; he could make Kylo something."</p><p>In which Hux learns how to knit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elfriniol](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfriniol/gifts).



> The result of a truly absurd and wonderful conversation with [elfriniol](http://archiveofourown.org/users/elfriniol) .

Four months into their relationship, Hux finally started admitting to himself that he was in fact in a relationship with Kylo Ren. Around the same time, Kylo was sent on a series of back-to-back missions, with only a day or two onboard the _Finalizer_ in between. Hux quickly realized that he _missed_ Kylo when he was gone. Kylo noticed this, too, and although he couldn’t help that he had to leave so often and be gone so long, he could give Hux things to remember him by in the meantime. So he started bringing back little things from each planet, ranging from treats to trinkets to interesting rocks. At first Hux found it strange, but soon began to look forward to these gifts. He tried to react stoically each time Kylo gave him something, to not let on how touched he was that Kylo was thinking of him, but deep down he knew Kylo knew how much it meant. That was why he kept doing it.

 

After about a month of this, though, Hux’s overactive mind began to work against him. Kylo went to all these exotic places and brought him such nice things, and what did Hux do in return? Of course he was always thankful, often giving Kylo extra kisses or letting him pick what they did that night in return. But it didn’t feel like enough. _Hux_ didn’t feel like enough. He wanted to give Kylo something tangible, something Kylo could look at and think of him.

 

He was worrying about this late one cycle in his quarters, trying to focus on his work, when a shiver ran through him. The ship was always too damn cold, but Hux was too stubborn to turn up the heat, not wanting to appear weak. He reached down under his bed and pulled out a storage bin. He dug through it and found what he needed: an old, worn, but soft and warm handmade blanket. No one knew he had this, not even Kylo. His mother had made it for him during the brief time she was in his life, before the Academy…

 

His mother had _made it for him_.

 

Hux stared at the blanket in wonder. All his achievements and somehow this felt like one of the biggest revelations of his life. He might not be able to leave the ship and find Kylo nice things, but he had two hands and was a quick learner; he could _make_ Kylo something.

 

He wasted no time beginning his research. First, he looked through images of handmade blankets to figure out how his mother made this one. It turned out she had used a technique called _knitting_ which was a popular craft among the Outer Rim planets. Hux then pulled up several holovids showing how it was done. He watched a few and decided it looked more than within his capabilities. He just had to find the right materials and get started.

 

Choosing a yarn proved difficult. He couldn’t use just _anything_ ; he wouldn’t be caught dead making his lover something out of bantha wool. Eventually he decided on tomuon wool. Finding it proved even more difficult, as he couldn’t just commandeer a shuttle and go shopping around the galaxy. He eventually managed to convince Phasma to pick some up yarn and needles up during a village raid, claiming it was for something important and top secret. She definitely didn’t believe him, but she did trust him, and so she acquired and delivered the goods covertly, as promised.

 

Kylo wouldn’t be back for another week, so Hux used all of his sparse free time watching holovid tutorials and practicing until he felt comfortable. Then, seated comfortably on his bed with Millicent curled up asleep beside him, he set to work on his first project. The tomuon yarn was soft and sturdy and dyed a lovely crimson color. Once he set a steady rhythm, Hux found the repetitive motion and soft clicks of the needles soothing. The tension seeped out of his shoulders and his breathing slowed comfortably. Hux rarely felt so at ease. He hadn’t expected to enjoy this so much. Before he knew it, he was nearly out of yarn and a nice long scarf was piled in his lap. He finished it and held it up to examine his work. A thrill of satisfaction filled him at this job well done. Hux folded his creation carefully and tucked it away into a drawer. He returned to work and eagerly anticipated Kylo’s return.

 

 

*

 

Hux was in his quarters when Kylo finally arrived back on the _Finalizer_. He heard his footsteps approach the door; they were sluggish, he must be tired. Hux wasn’t Force-sensitive but he was becoming increasingly Kylo-sensitive and could tell a lot about him from little things. The door to his quarters slid open and Kylo slipped in, already removing his mask. He made his way over to Hux, trying not to seem too eager, but Hux could tell he was relieved to see him. Hux felt the same way. He rose from his desk chair and met Kylo half way, pulling him down into a tender kiss. Kylo slipped an arm around his waist and sighed.

 

Hux gave him a few more light pecks then pulled back, to Kylo’s frustration. He tried to follow Hux’s lips with his own but Hux dodged them and planted a final kiss on his forehead before speaking.

 

“I have something for you.”

 

Kylo blinked.

 

“For me?”

 

“Yes.” Hux began to remove Kylo’s cowl.

 

“Not tonight, please, Hux, I’m tired…” Kylo looked and sounded incredibly guilty. Hux chuckled.

 

“It’s not what you think. Just trust me. And close your eyes. And no using the Force to peek somehow.”

 

“That’s not how the Force…”

 

“ _Kylo_.”

 

Kylo huffed and gave him a suspicious look, but complied. Hux finished removing the cowl and set it aside then pulled the scarf out of his drawer. He carefully wrapped it around Kylo’s neck; it was long enough to wrap around twice with the ends hanging down to his belt in the front. Kylo’s brow furrowed at the feeling of something against his neck but he obediently kept his eyes closed.

 

“There,” Hux said. He took a moment to admire the deep red yarn against Kylo’s pale skin, dark hair and dark clothes. “You can open your eyes now.”

 

Kylo did, and immediately looked to see what was on him. He lifted one of the ends and stroked a thumb over the soft material, held it up closer to examine the precise stitches. He ran his fingers through the fringe at the end and lifted his other hand to feel the loops of it bunched around his neck. Then he looked at Hux.

 

“Where did you get this?”

“I didn’t get it anywhere. I made it.” Hux smirked, but his eyes were shining with pride.

 

“You _made_ it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I didn’t know you could, uh…”

 

“Knit.”

 

“I didn’t know you could knit.”

 

“I couldn’t until about a week ago.” Hux cleared his throat, suddenly nervous. “Do you…is it…you don’t have to wear it into battle, obviously, you’d be a walking target, but you can take it with you and keep it on your shuttle or something…”

 

He was rambling now, his face composed as ever but his clenched fists and averted gaze gave him away. Kylo gently tilted Hux’s chin up with one hand so Hux could see the fond smile on his face. Kylo cupped his face and kissed him, the other hand still holding onto the scarf.

 

“So you like it?” Hux asked when he pulled away.

 

“Hux, I _love_ it. Thank you.”

 

Hux beamed. They settled down together on the bed, Hux leaning back against Kylo’s chest. Hux pulled out his needles and a new ball of yarn and showed Kylo what he’d learned. Kylo watched him work until he grew drowsy and dozed off, the scarf still wrapped around his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some knitting!Hux and knitgoods recipient!Kylo art: [x](http://mini-mantis.tumblr.com/post/147399578761/millie-and-mittens-this-unspeakable-image-came-to%22) | [x](http://obsessions-and-dreams.tumblr.com/post/147360013640/1-knitting-is-very-relaxing-2-the-finalizer)
> 
>  
> 
> Chapter 2 will be short and ridiculous.
> 
>  
> 
> Visit me on [tumblr](http://http://obsessions-and-dreams.tumblr.com/)?


	2. Chapter 2

Hux’s new hobby came to serve many purposes. First and foremost, it enabled him to give something to Kylo. Just as Kylo’s gifts gave Hux something to look forward to and remember him by when he was away, Hux’s creations were a little piece of him Kylo could take with him. In addition to his usual gifts, Kylo began bringing back yarns from different planets for Hux to use. Every time he returned he was almost as eager to see what else Hux had made him as he was to see Hux himself.

 

After the scarf, Hux made him a pair of matching fingerless gloves. Then a hat. Then a second scarf in black. Then a full cowl. Then a blanket not unlike the one Hux’s mother once made him. With each new project his skills became more refined and the results more detailed and beautiful. His crowning achievement in intricacy was a pair of socks with a pattern in the shape of Darth Vader’s helmet on the sides. Kylo vehemently denied having tears in his eyes when Hux presented them to him, but Hux saw them.

 

Through it all, the red scarf remained Kylo’s favorite.

 

Knitting was also a great stress reliever, and Hux was a man with a lot of stress. It gave him something to focus on other than nagging doubts about his own adequacy; it gave his hands something to do other than fidget or dig his nails into his palms. It helped him wind down at the end of the day. It also allowed him more time to spend with Millie, even if that meant her occasionally attacking his yarn.

 

Shortly after he mastered socks, Hux had a _very_ stressful series of events. The Order lost half a squadron and two TIE fighters in an altercation with the Resistance, Snoke reprimanded him for the failure, and to top it all off, Kylo was gone for _three weeks_.  When the mess was finally cleaned up and he was able to return to a slightly normal schedule and Kylo still wasn’t back, he took up his needles and pumped out sock after sock until he felt a little better. Before he knew it he’d created a small pile.

 

“What am I going to do with all of these?” He asked Kylo the night he returned, curled up beside him with the blanket he’d made wrapped around them both.

 

“Perhaps you could give them to the ‘troopers,” Kylo joked. “Could be good for morale.”

 

“….”

 

“Why are you looking at me like that? I was only kidding…”

 

“That’s _genius_.”

 

A few weeks later, every member of Phasma’s squadron received a pair of socks in their locker. No one but the Captain herself knew where they’d come from, and she wasn’t about to say anything.

 

It did, in fact, boost morale.

 

Hux decided to give something to Phasma, too. She had helped him start this in the first place, after all, and kept it secret. She was exceptional at her job, too, and Hux decided she deserved a little more than socks.

 

He approached her privately a few days later with a very nice hat in red and black like her cape. Phasma was touched. There was only one problem.

 

“But sir,” she said apologetically, “I wear a _helmet_.”

 

And if the General’s shoulders slumped a little at that, well, no one but Phasma saw it, and she still wasn’t about to say anything.

 

“Not all the time though,” she added quickly, “and it does get cold in my quarters.” She took the hat and even though she couldn’t feel it through her gloves, she could tell it was soft. “Thank you, sir.”

 

Things weren’t perfect. They were still at war and Hux was still stressed more than was probably healthy and Kylo was still away much more than Hux would like. But one night as he sat in bed finishing another scarf, finally one for himself, he took a moment to stop and look at his life. Kylo was asleep with his head on Hux’s shoulder; Millicent was asleep in Kylo’s lap. They were warm in the blanket he’d made and the low hum of the ship was soothing and the stars outside their viewport were stunning. Life wasn’t perfect; nothing ever was. But it was very, _very_ good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and ridiculous, as promised.
> 
> Have some knitting!Hux and knitgoods recipient!Kylo art: [x](http://mini-mantis.tumblr.com/post/147399578761/millie-and-mittens-this-unspeakable-image-came-to%22) | [x](http://obsessions-and-dreams.tumblr.com/post/147360013640/1-knitting-is-very-relaxing-2-the-finalizer)
> 
>  
> 
> Visit me on [tumblr](http://http://obsessions-and-dreams.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
